Wolves and Crickets
by xAmeliaPond
Summary: A series of what will eventually be 100 unconnected drabbles/oneshots. —- ArchieRuby
1. Lost & Found

**Hello people... how are you? :)**  
**I just REALLY feel like writing Red Cricket at the moment, they're so cute! So, this is where I'll post any random little Red Cricket drabbles I write. Hope you enjoy!**  
**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time. *sigh***

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**Title**: Lost and Found

**Time**: Somewhere between 1x11 and 1x22. Characters/Pairings: Ruby, Archie, Pongo | Archie/Ruby

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"Dr. Hopper? What's wrong?"

Archie turned around when he heard a female voice say his name, and saw Ruby standing behind him, her scarlet-streaked dark hair in pigtails. Ruby was one of the few Storybrooke residents who he didn't counsel, so he didn't talk to her that much except when she bought him coffee at Granny's, or when she'd insist on patting Pongo when he took him for a walk. Not that he hadn't noticed or... admired her.

"Oh hi, Ruby. It's uh, Pongo. He ran off." Archie pushed his round glasses up the bridge of his nose, glancing behind Ruby for a second for any sight of the Dalmatian puppy.

"Oh no!" Ruby said, biting her bottom lip in worry, "You need any help finding him, Doc? I'm free, if you need some help..."

"Thanks," he said, smiling at the young waitress. "That'd be really great."

"So, uh, Doc, how's life?" Ruby asked, trying to make conversation while they looked for the dog. She really did love Pongo, she had noticed that Archie would always walk Pongo at the same day, at the same time (lunch time on a Saturday) and would make an effort to go for a walk at that time to see Pongo (and, by extension, Archie). She wanted a puppy, really badly, but her granny wouldn't allow her to buy one.

"Good, thanks." Archie replied politely as he and Ruby walked down the road. "How are you?"

"I'm great. How about Pongo? How's he been? Well, besides getting lost."

"He's been pretty good too; well, he got sick the other day and vomited on my..." Archie, no! he thought to himself; do NOT talk about dog vomit to the pretty girl! He stopped himself. "But uh, you probably don't want to hear about that."

Ruby chuckled. Archie realized he liked her laugh, it was kind of... musical. "No, that's alright," she continued to smile.

The two walked around the corner to the playground where the castle that Henry had enjoyed to play on was formerly (before Regina had got it torn down.) As they walked across the park, they saw a flash of white and black run towards them.

"Hey, Pongo! There you are, sweetie!" Ruby giggled as Pongo jumped on her. She picked up the puppy and cuddled him, then handed him to Archie. "There you go, Doc," she said with a smile.

"Thanks for your help, Ruby." Archie said as he took the dog from Ruby's arms.

"That's alright," Ruby replied as she again grinned at him. "So, uh, are you planning on doing anything this afternoon?"

"I have a patient, but he should be finished quickly," Archie replied.

"Well,do you want to come over and have dinner with me and Granny afterwards?" Ruby asked as Archie secured Pongo on his leash.

"Yeah, that sounds nice." Archie blushed.


	2. The Instruction Book

**Hello~ I'm glad you guys enjoyed the last fic, so here is another one!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time. *sigh***

**P.S.: Also, no disrespect to Dr. Whale. I love him, but he is a bit of a tool. **

**P.P.S.: Don't forget to review :)**

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**Title**: The Instruction Book

**Time**: ...who knows.

**Characters/Pairings**: Archie, Ruby | Archie/Ruby, mentioned past Dr. Whale/Ruby.

**Notes**: For 30Kisses on LiveJournal, List Xi/Instructions Prompt #09. _To explain a romantic breakup, simply say "it was all my fault"._

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"It was all my fault."

Ruby sighed as she refilled Archie's coffee cup.

The psychologist looked at her in disbelief. "I'm sure it wasn't all your fault, Ruby," he said, "Dr. Whale had to have some part in it."

_Probably most of it_, Archie thought, _or all of it._

He didn't like Dr. Whale. Not because he was jealous of the fact that he was dating Ruby for a time... well, he was a bit jealous, but, anyway, he wasn't exactly the nicest guy Archie had met. Before Ruby, he'd been ogling Mary Margaret, and any number of women before her.

"It's what you're supposed to say, Doc." Ruby explained, pulling out a chair at the table Archie was sitting at. Her granny wouldn't mind if she just talked for a while, would she? "When you have a breakup, you're supposed to say that it's all your fault."

"And who told you that?" Archie asked as he took a sip of the newly refilled coffee.

"My Granny. She told me all these instructions when I was a little girl, she still reminds me of them sometimes," Ruby explained, resting her chin on her hand and her elbow on the table. "She has a whole book of them."

"I've never heard of this book." Archie said, blushing because Ruby was kind of staring at him.

"Well, I can ask my Granny if you can borrow it to read if you'd like, I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

"That would be really great, thanks. It won't take me long to read, so I can get it back to your grandma quickly."

"That's alright," Ruby stood up from her chair. "I have to get back to work now, so see you later!"

"Yeah, see you later."


End file.
